WIFM (What's in it for me) is an exclusive, quarterly, bilingual lifestyle magazine offering readers a balanced coverage of business, lifestyle and key happenings in Tokyo along with our own recommendations to explore new opportunities in this great city.

When Custom Media - publishers of WIFM - considers partnering
with a CSR project we look long and hard at candidates
and conduct some thorough due diligence. In January, we found
the perfect fit. Read more »

For many people, Hayama is a
summer playground. It conjures
up restless images of Morito beach
crowded with the young and the
young at heart flocking to the umi
no ie (beach houses and bars). The area has a
few beaches such as Chojagasaki, well known for
swimming and near the Otowa no Mori Hotel, and
the crescent-shaped Isshiki.

But when the tourists leave, Hayama returns
to its introspective self. Home to an understated
exclusiveness, the feel is quite different without
the crowds. The Imperial Family usually stay here
at the Goyoutei, or Emperor’s Summer Palace,
during quieter moments of the year. Just behind
the palace is one of the best beaches, Isshiki,
quiet and protected in all senses.

Hayama, like many towns along the Miura and
Shonan coasts, offers beaches and mountains. Go
there for spectacular views and sunsets, fine fresh
seafood, succulent vegetables and Hayama gyu
(beef ). Escape to a slower pace, and appreciate
a walk along the beach and a nice lunch or
dinner accompanied by a glorious sunset. For
outdoor enthusiasts, there is canoeing, kayaking,
windsurfing and cross-country bike trails.

DirectionsCar: Just one hour’s drive from Tokyo on the
Yokohama-Yokosuka toll road; take the Zushi exit
to the Zuyo toll road and then route 134. As the
highway breaks, stick to the coast.

Train: From either JR Zushi or Shin Zushi stations,
take a walk, bus, taxi or hotel shuttle toward the
coast.

At the first hint of a snow cloud on
the horizon this winter, skiers and
snowboarders were quickly dusting
off their gear for another spectacular
season on Japan’s best slopes. Blessed
with some of the best ski runs in the world, winter
resorts here also have some of the most impressive rest
and recuperation options after a hard day tearing up the
powder. Read more »

What is it that makes a hotel
truly iconic, that certain je ne
sais quoi that delivers instant
recognition and a unique “sense
of self” while others — trying
just as hard, perhaps even more so — never quite manage
to overcome the anonymity of their existence?

Good design — from external architecture to
interiors — obviously plays a defining role, but while
a well-known name certainly generates a certain level
of interest in the early days, once a hotel settles down
for day-to-day business it is surprisingly unusual to find
design and spirit merging with great success.

Happily, the recently unveiled The Capitol Hotel
Tokyu — a complete redevelopment of the original hotel
designed for Tokyo’s 1963 Olympic Games — defies
stereotypes delivering a fresh new experience of
Japanese hospitality and contemporary design that looks
set to create a new icon in the capital.

Celebrated Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, renowned
for his trademark modern take on traditional Japanese
themes, proved an inspired choice for the redevelopment
of the iconic Tokyo landmark, delivering a subtle blend
of distinctive Japanese architecture and comfortably
elegant interiors that evoke an easy relationship between
style and modern hospitality. Kuma’s Capitol Tokyu is an
unmistakably modern building, inspired by Japan’s rich
traditions and culture and in large part by the hotel’s
unusually tranquil garden-like setting in the Akasaka
district overlooking the historic Hie Shrine and near to the
prime minister’s official residence.

Speaking to WIFM about the design process, Kuma
says that respecting the earlier design incarnation
by architect Isoya Yoshida — an architect he greatly
respects — was critical. Yoshida’s creation of the
former Tokyo Hilton Hotel was the first global chain
hotel in Japan, which went on to operate as the
Capitol Tokyu Hotel from 1983 until its closure for
redevelopment in 2006. For decades the hotel was
considered one of the most prestigious addresses in
Tokyo, favored by international celebrities such as
The Beatles, the Three Tenors: Plácido Domingo, José
Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti.

The original hotel was completely demolished to allow
for a new approach to the unique site and creation of a
high-rise building. The result is an impressive 29-storey
structure with 251 generously proportioned guest rooms
from the 18th floor upward, five restaurants and bars,
five banquet spaces and two floors of fitness and spa
facilities, including a 20-metre indoor swimming pool.
The hotel entrance is unlike any other in Tokyo, sharing
a space with the 500-year old Hie Shrine helps set the
scene as does Kuma’s striking stone-clad façade that
creates a unique sense of entrance: the building may
be high-rise but the atmosphere from the ground level is
distinctly personal.

With a ¥19 billion upgrade to a new 20,420m2 bespoke designed building housing state-of-the-art dining and recreational facilities, the Tokyo American Club (TAC) — which opened its sleek new doors in mid-January — has transformed itself from good to one of the greats in terms of private members’ clubs. Read more »

Just when you thought those clever Dyson
engineers had done it all, they outsmart
everyone again with another innovative
creation to make your home a nicer place
to live.

If you ever used the Dyson DC31 handheld vacuum
cleaner and thought it would be great to have a longerreach
and more powerful version for all floors, without
losing any attributes, check out the Dyson Digital Slim
DC35 Multi Floor.

Dyson says it’s the global market’s most powerful
lightweight cordless vacuum — twice as powerful as
its closest rivals — and after a weekend thoroughly
testing it, I am not surprised at this.

Sometimes, I just want to quickly clean up a small
or awkward space, such as a bedroom, stairs or under
a table. With a regular vacuum cleaner, it’s a pain to get
it from a cupboard, extend the cable, attach the right
tools, and find somewhere convenient to plug it in.

Being versatile, compact, cordless and light, it’s like
the DC35 was made especially for Japan’s relatively
small homes and limited storage space.

For a start, the “docking station” included allows
you to easily hang it on a wall (and recharge it there or
elsewhere) along with the tools, always handy for quick
and easy access.

Once started, I could actually feel the dust being
sucked up — even on carpets, which are generally
harder to clean than smooth surfaces. That’s because
it has a motorized tool to perform equally well on all
floors — carpets, tiles, stone or other soft and hard
coverings — and armed with rows of anti-static
carbon-fiber ultra-fine brushes for hard floors and
rotating nylon brushes for ground-in carpet dirt.

It’s not just floors, though, as I found its remarkably
light weight ensured that overhead cleaning — closets,
light fittings, ceilings, air conditioning units, tops of
doors and above curtains — was far less heavy work.
With a head that rotates 180 degrees, even low
furniture, tight corners, awkward gaps and so on
cannot escape as it has a detachable long-reach wand
that reaches virtually everywhere.

Did I say versatile? To use it as a nifty handheld for
quick spills, spot cleaning, upholstery and car interiors,
simply detach the wand and “hey presto”.

You can clearly see the dust and dirt inside the clear
bin at all times; so when you see it’s full, simply press
a button that releases the canister into the bin. No
messy bags!

At the heart of the Dyson Digital Slim DC35 Multi
Floor, I am told, is the digital motor that spins
up to three times faster than conventional
motors to produce powerful centrifugal
forces to catch nasty dust and

Europe’s first exhibition to comprehensively
survey avant-garde Japanese fashion was
featured recently at the Barbican Art Gallery,
London in an event co-organized by the
Kyoto Costume Institute. Visionaries such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and
Yohji Yamamoto redefined the very basis of fashion;
challenged established Western notions of beauty, and
turned fashion very firmly into art. Read more »

The challenges that confront Japan are
numerous, complicated and shifting but
the message that came out of a symposium
organized by Economist Conferences in mid-
December is that many of the key problems
have been identified and steps are being taken to deal
with them. Domestic politics may be stalemated, the
national economy clearly needs attention, and education
and the role of women can benefit from new thinking—
but none of these problems are insurmountable, the
delegates indicated.

What is needed is a willingness to think—and act—
outside Japan’s existing parameters, to learn from other
nations’ experiences, and a more decisive attitude to
achieving change. This is, after all, the country that
rebuilt itself so spectacularly after the ravages of World
War II; it must be hoped that the descendants of that
generation of Japanese have inherited some of their
drive to regenerate after what some are describing as
two lost economic decades.

The symposium—Generation Change in Japan: New
Leaders, New Outlook—was held at the Hotel New Otani
and brought together both experienced and up-and-coming
leaders in the realms of politics, business, academia and
civil society to discuss ways in which Japan can be reenergized.

The daylong event began with an interview with
Kevin Turner, the chief operating officer of Microsoft,
who pointed out that even though it is one of the most
technologically advanced nations on the planet, the
utilization of that know-how is startlingly uneven in
smaller Japanese firms. Cloud-computing technology is
one clear example, he said.

“The functionality that you can get via your laptop and
mobile phone in this country is very advanced in comparison
with the rest of the world, but investment in that by small
companies pales in comparison,” he said. “Small and
medium-sized enterprises need to unlock their ability to do
digital advertising and marketing, for example.”

Another area that would benefit the nation as a
whole would be to encourage a new generation of young
leaders, he said.

“The system that Japan has at present is very
successful in its own right, but there is the opportunity to
unlock some of the potential and give people with good
ideas—regardless of their age or background—a chance.

“They may fail occasionally, but it’s about allowing
the growth of new ideas,” he said. “Some will be
winners and some will be losers, but without trying you
will never know.”

The first panel session of the day considered potential
growth industries of the future, how the government
might support those nascent industries and how
Japan might become more competitive internationally,
with David Line, senior editor for Asia, Industry and
Management at the Economist, underlining that 99
percent of all firms here can be considered small or
medium-sized and that Japan requires that they be
strong for the nation

Understanding these two personalities helps communication and relationships

Want to improve your personal and business relationships? Then
lets investigate this communication lark a little further by
drawing on more Myers-Briggs information. Communication
is about getting your message across, no matter what the
situation. Why is it we get on better with some people and less
so with others?

George Bernard Shaw once said: “The single biggest problem with communication
is the illusion that it has occurred.” When he wrote this, I wonder if he had introverts and extroverts in mind. Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, uses “extroversion” and “introversion” to refer to how people prefer to energize. Myers-Briggs believes that everyone has both an extroverted and an introverted side, with one more dominant than the other.

Power: Solar v Battery

Extroverts prefer to direct their energy to, and draw it from, the external world of
activity and the spoken word, so I call them “solar powered.” Introverts, meanwhile,
prefer to direct their energy to, and draw it from, the internal world of thoughts and to communicate in writing, so they are “battery powered.”

Let’s take an example of an everyday business or social meeting. Extroverts like to
contribute verbally and are happy to engage their mouth before their brain is in gear.
But introverts will only speak when they have had time to internalize and think through
exactly what they want to say — they would never start to speak until they are completely
satisfied that they know exactly what they want to say.

If an introvert is asked a question, it can take a while — up to 14 seconds according to
a recent psychological study — before they answer the question. They are thinking their
answer through and having an internal dialogue, and until they are completely happy with
their planned response they will not answer. Extroverts do not like silence, so you will
never catch them waiting that long to speak. They will eagerly fill the silence with some
comment and then think through what they really want to say on the hoof.

So remember next time you are talking with someone, whatever the purpose: if
they are not answering you as quickly as you would like, they are probably introverted
and this is their preferred way of living. Or if someone seems to be dominating the
conversation, they are probably extroverted.

Once you are aware of their energy source — solar or battery — then you can adapt
your communication style accordingly, reap the benefits of knowing who you are, and
celebrate the differences in people.

Extroverts

Introverts

• Energized by the flow of energy outward into the
environment
• Attuned to the external world
• Prefer to communicate by talking
• Work out ideas by talking them through
• Learn best through doing or discussing
• Have broad